Explore the Universe - Gassendi

During the late summer of 2016 I spent some time observing the moon and learning about the different features associated with craters.  The best time to view the moon is when the 'Terminator' intersects with the feature of interest.  The terminator is the line that separates the light and dark side of a celestial object.

I observed the crater Gassendi on September 12, 2016.  It had several rilles (valleys, trenches, cracks) formed by a variety of different phenomena.  It is also defined as a complex crater with a typically larger diameter, central peaks and an inward collapse of the outer rim.

Gassendi has a diameter of 110km and a depth of nearly 2km.  It was viewed through a neutral density filter to cut down on the illumination of a waxing gibbous moon.  In 2017 I will be experimenting with a polarizing filter to adjust the amount of light coming out of the eyepiece.

Gassendi Observation Record

At the next star night you attend ask the telescope operator to give you a tour of some of these famous craters!